Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers frolicked Monday morning at FTX Arena forward of his crew’s game-day shootaround speaking about mentorship, together with his host for the primary two video games of his crew’s Eastern Conference semifinal collection towards the Miami Heat.
The affect of Heat president Pat Riley, Rivers stated, has been a touchstone over his teaching profession, approaches gleaned from his time taking part in below Riley’s teaching with the New York Knicks.
“I’ve been around some pretty good guys,” Rivers stated. “But Riley clearly had the biggest impact. It’s not even close.”
That consists of taking part in below Mike Fratello, Larry Brown and even spending time with the San Antonio Spurs working below Gregg Popovich.
Rivers advised the assembled media that it was throughout his time as a TNT recreation analyst that Riley broached a Rivers transfer into teaching.
“He was the one when I did TV for three years, every day he would call me or challenge me, ‘When are you going to get in the fray?’ ” Rivers said of Riley. “He would belittle me, literally. Because I did the [1997] Miami and New York playoff series. Every day, he got me. I thought he was wrong, but he ended up being right.”
Rivers lengthy has talked about his two-plus seasons below Riley in New York as transformative.
“He inspired me, he really did,” Rivers stated. “Just his speeches and his perception in conditioning, I used to be all the time in fairly good condition, in any case, so he has you believing that you simply’re totally different than all people else within the league. And again then, he had a foul each possession within the first-five-minutes rule, as a result of they’ll cease calling them. You can’t do this anymore.
“It’s his spirit and the way he approaches the job that sets him apart.”
And but, whereas addressing the Heat, Rivers additionally alluded to the Heat sustaining at the very least a part of the Riley mantra below coach Erik Spoelstra, when he forecast how the Heat may defend 76ers guard James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
“They’re going to try to bump them and all of that fake tough stuff,” Rivers stated. “I all the time snigger in any respect that toughness stuff. You’re on a basketball court docket.
“But, you know, we will be ready for all that.”
Two-man recreation
With Victor Oladipo again within the Heat rotation combine, Spoelstra stated it will be important for him to get into sync with sixth man Tyler Herro.
“We’ve been working on that a little bit more intentionally,” Spoelstra stated. “We’ve had the chance to do that extra for a number of weeks.
“The two have been very diligent on working on their rhythm and flow and who handles and what actions with the two, making sure we get to both their strengths. And it’s gotten much better.”
Spoelstra stated even this late into the method, acclimation stays basic.
“To accomplish what we want to accomplish,” he stated, “you need talent, you need multiple guys to make plays. You want everybody feeling that they can be themselves and also play with great confidence and flow. And I’ve already seen good progress with them.”
White Hot
The Heat had been again of their Association Edition white uniforms Monday and can put on them once more in Wednesday night time’s Game 2, amid the crew’s White Hot playoff theme, after taking part in of their crimson Statement Edition uniforms of their earlier playoff dwelling recreation, the series-clinching victory final week towards the Atlanta Hawks.
The Heat will put on their Statement Edition crimson Friday night time in Philadelphia in Game 3 after which their black Icon Edition in Sunday’s Game 4 at Wells Fargo Center. …
With native tv giving method to nationwide unique telecasts after the primary spherical, Bally Sports Sun has introduced dwell postgame reveals instantly after every remaining playoff recreation.
Eric Reid and John Crotty will host the protection, with Jason Jackson, Ruth Riley Hunter and Ron Rothstein additionally contributing.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com